bathing cat question

If you have an indoor cat like i do should you still
give them a bath?

I don't bathe any of mine unless they have gotten into something (like the dirts from plants) or have skin problems that require cleaning and/or treatment. Most cats are pretty fastidious with their self grooming.

I agree.

I have never bathed any of my cats and probably never will (unless they get into something really nasty). Healthy, normal cats dont need to be bathed. They do it themselves

I think it depends on the breed. My persians get bathed regularly, depending on colour. The whites get bathed every week, while I bath the other colours every fortnight, sometimes stretching that to monthly. Of course this cycle gets adjusted during show season as they always get bathed before a show. They all stay indoors but some get their ruff quite dirty as it is long and hangs in their food or water. Then, I have one white persian female who is never ever dirty and does not need to be bathed that often. I don't think short haired cats need bathing as often, although I know that most owners of short haired show cats also give them a show bath.

These days, i bath my indoor kitties about once every three/four weeks.

Daisy:


Venus:

I try to give amber a bath at least once a month. I wasnt going to but hubby says I should, that he feels her fur feeling 'oily' once in a while. I can agree, once she has dryed off she is much fluffier and softer!

My groomer bath my long hair cats , monthly to by monthly . My short hair cat I don't bath at all and only would wipe them with a wet cloth if needet .

I was just curious...patches is an indoor cat but i have
heard that some ppl give them bathes even if they stay
indoors

Thanks

chelle, I think this was answered above. It depends on the breed. Most cats are self-sufficient groomers and can do the job themselves, the higher maintenance cats such as Persians, need to be bathed and groomed regularly.

chelle, I don't have to worry about bathing my boys especially Aragorn who loves to join me in the shower.

Legolas also loves the water but he prefers the kitchen sink, so that's where I bathe him and both of my boys are indoor.

I would LOVE to have a persian but i don't think that
i would have the time to take care of it.
I cat sat my frineds persian a while back and giving her
a bath wasen't easy

I probably only bathe my cats 1 to 2 times a year. It helps tremndously to release the shedding hair and they feel and smell SOOOOO good afterwards, too. Even though they are inside only, and they DO groom themselves, it is nice to get some "pollution" (so to speak) off of them. Think of the litter dust they must be ingesting with each lick (for example).

our new kitten Alley has long hair and i wonder if
i should bathe her or not

I've never bathed any of my cats.
My Grandparents took in tons of
cats over the years and long haired
or short they always kept themselves
extremely clean.
Grooming seems to be a big part of a
cats daily routine so I think like
someone else said that unless they get
into something icky and smelly you
probably won't need to ever give her
one.

Ok I just remembered I did help
give a cat a bath once.

My Dads cat Bud got under his car
and got oil all over his back,
we had a heck of a time getting
that off of him, he was a long haired
white cat. That was a time
we couldn't let Bud take care
of the cleaning himself.
So needless to say
we had to take care of it.

I'm surprised I don't still have
war wounds from that he absolutely
hated getting a bath and was fighting
us tooth and nail to get out of there lol

since they're both indoor cats i woulden't really need to
but i thought i'd ask

I've given short haired cats a bath, but I now have a long hair cat that needs a bath - he stinks! He got outside and rolled around in the mulch. Is there anything special I need to watch or do in consideration for his long hair? I have this horrible thought that I will bathe him and he will come out one bing tangle.

If you are worried about tangles, I would suggest two things. First, brush before bathing, to help get rid of shedding hair and any matted/tangled hair. Second, find a shampoo made with long haired cats in mind.

In regards to bathing indoor cats. Whether you do so or not, other grooming habits should still be observed: trimming nails, cleaning teeth, expressing anal glands (preferably by vet or grooming), etc. If you regularly brush their hair it will help with shedding and help keep down hairball problems. Plus brushing can be enjoyable to the cat. One of mine doesn't care to be picked up, but loves being petted and brushed.

Those that want a waterless bath can find the equavilant of a pet size moist towelette, made for cats (and for dogs, too) in most pet stores. (even Wal-mart carries them) Or theres a powder you can sprinkle on your cat. (also saw at Wal-mart)

Chelle, In my experience with long haired (Persian's), it is much better to bathe them and much easier to keep them mat free when they are bathed. And mine are all indoor cats too. When mine start getting mats I know it is time to bathe them. Yes, of course I brush and comb them everyday. But sometimes it gets to the point where they are more difficult to get out and there are many more of them. If I keep up with bathing them there isn't a problem with mats. Just my experience.

And I agree that they should be brushed and mats combed out as best as possible before bathing. Otherwise, you could make them worse.

I give Cupid a bath 1-3 times a week. Since he doesn't have fur, his natural oils build up and he doesn't ever feel oily, but the oil collects dirt. The more he is loved on, the more he needs a bath b/c our oils get on him and collect dirt too.

He's really good in the tub. When I first got him I tried bathing him in the sink but he freaked out. So I asked his breeder how she bathed him and she said in the tub so now I bathe him in the tub and he's fine. He'd rather NOT be in there, but he doesn't freak out.